Aftermarket Products

Ask right here! Post up a specific question and you'll get lots of aftermarket options. 

Any online hobby shop sells aftermarket stuff. To name a few - Squadron.com, Spruebrothers.com, Megahobby.com, Scalehobbyist.com, etc....

I will usually check the Online hobby stores that BlackSheep has mentioned above. I will also check eBay. If I search for a certain type of subject, say F-14, then I'll sort based on lowest price first. The lower priced items will usually be the aftermarket accessories.

One thing I do , Craig. Find a review of a build of a subject you are interested in. For instance, in FSM magazine. Or check online. The builders usually tabulate the AM stuff they used, and for actual builds this is really valuable because sometimes the AM stuff doesn't fit, etc.

And, yes! Ask here and you shall be deluged!

Depending on what site you go on, they will tell you what kits the AM items are for, assuming its for certain kits. There's no easy way, it can take a bit of work. It also helps if you know the AM companies. I often check there sites a do a search and that will tell me if they have items for the kit in question. Not all shops will sell items from all companies.

As GMorrison mentioned, reading reviews on kits and builds is useful. Hyperscale is good for that, but there are many more. Also, the various "how to" books list a lot of AM. Perusing the various online hobby stores and clicking on the various AM companies listed there will give you a good idea which companies sell certain products. Barracuda, Eagle editions, Eduard, master model, florymodels, master details are just a few examples of ones I've used throughout the years.

One of the advantages of belonging to a modeling club is finding this kind of stuff.  Many clubs have a show & tell as part of their meetings, and builders will generally mention if they use a new aftermarket product.  If not, you can ask, and then ask where they got it.  Some model clubs also have a "new products" discussion as part of their meeting.

Thanks for the replies.  I guess I was hoping for a lazy mans way out to quickly locate things.  If I were to want a metal barrel for a Tamiya Panther Ausf.A, it would call for a 7.5cm KwK 42 L/70 gun and located one listed for a Dragon Or Academy model, for example, would they be interchangeable? Would the same hold true for track?

What I am most interested in finding is a set of brass barrels and a wooden deck for Encores Olympia protected cruiser.  When I purchased the kit I thought they would be includede but, that came with a different version of the kit.  The kit I have does have the PE like the deluxe kit but neithr the guns ore ths decking.

I hope I made sense with my ramblings .  Thanks again for the responses.

Craig

AM tracks are generally none kits specific. Barrels and other AM which are labelled for a certain kit can be used on others, but some modification may be needed. Chances are if there is nothing for your kit, its because its a really old one or such a small run kit the mainstream AM companies did not feel it justified. That Tamiya Panther Ausf A dates from the mid 1970's and the barrel and track would be the least of its issues. I know most people would suggest not to waist the money on it. But seeing that I used a ton of AM designed for the Dragon P-61 on an old Airfix kit, I'd be in no position to say that.

Master Model is one of the larger brass barrel companies. Artwox gets good reviews for wood decks.

Thanks Bish. I think I'll relegate this panther to being a testbed for painting and weathering.

Tom, Thanks for the info. I'l look into those sources tonight.

Craig

https://www.scalemates.com/products/reviews.php?scale=1%3A232&topic=Cruiser+USS+Olympia

Scalemates is pretty useful, by no means always up to date.

In the case of the Olympia there's only been a couple of plastic models. Anything made for the Pyro would not work for the Encore, and vice versa. The Pyro is grossly inaccurate too.

I don't think you'll find any aftermarket parts for the Encore model, as they also make a set of their own and it wouldn't be economical for anyone else to try to compete with them

But write Squadron and ask them, they might have it separate.

EDIT: KA made the decks for Encore. I don't see it listed on the KA website. Artwox made one too, but everywhere I looked its "out of stock".